When an expectant mom arrives at Parkland’s OB department in labor, she is hooked up to a fetal monitor and her contraction pattern and fetal heart rate are monitored constantly. Sometimes it’s for a short time, and sometimes it can be for as long as 24 hours.
Parkland has something new, and moms are loving it. Parkland’s new Monica Novii monitoring system is wireless and it works with Bluetooth technology. What does this mean for moms?
“Before, with the old system, the mom would have to turn the nurse’s call light on when she had to go to the restroom; we would go in and unhook her, wrap the cords around her and hold them,” explained Lisa Helvey, RN, nurse manager of Parkland’s OB Department. “Now she can just get out of bed, go to the bathroom and come back to bed or walk around the room.”
A patch and battery are carefully attached to the mom’s abdomen, with monitors at her bedside and at the nurses’ station for constant surveillance. No longer connected by wires, the mom is free to move around, walk in the hallway, go to the restroom, etc. without the monitor losing “capture” while she is moving around.
What are Parkland’s moms saying about the new wireless monitor?
- “I really like the new wireless monitor because it allows me to sit on the birthing ball or rock in the rocking chair and still trace my baby and contraction pattern.”
- “It allowed me the freedom to go to the bathroom and ambulate in the hallway with my family and still trace my baby.”
- “It allowed me to be able to turn from side to side in bed. I was able to change positions as often as I liked and the nurses were able to trace my baby the whole time.”
- “I enjoyed not being tied to the monitor, I had freedom to move around. Last time I had a baby I had to stay in bed so my baby could be monitored. This new wireless monitor is great; it allowed me to be more interactive in the labor process. I felt like I had choices. I could walk if I wanted to or I could turn to my side if my back hurt. It was great.”
Dr. Kimberly Borchers delivers babies at Parkland and is very familiar with both the old monitoring system and the new. Her take on it? “I love the Novii monitor,” says Dr. Borchers. “It allows us to monitor labor closely, making sure mom and baby are healthy. Being able to walk and move shortens labor, decreases pain, and allows mom the freedom to be in whatever position she feels most comfortable in. This is a wonderful addition to our OB department.”
Pictured above is Kimberly Borchers, MD, a member of BJC Medical Group.